The
Emmaus
Project


Week
1
–
Introduction



I. Introduction




 
























 




 “Hey,
let’s
get
the
latest
Beth
Moore
study.”




 “Does
John
Eldridge,
John
MacArthur,
or
Tim
Keller
have
any
new
books


 out?”






 





 












 Are
we
returning
to
the
Middle
Ages
in
2010?




 Example
–
Martin
Luther
and
the
“priesthood
of
all
believers”
(1
Peter
2:9).




 Hebrews
5:12


 In
fact,
though
by
this
time
you
ought
to
be
teachers,
you
need
someone
to


 teach
you
the
elementary
truths
of
God's
word
all
over
again.
You
need
milk,


 not
solid
food!










The
Emmaus
Project
 1

Spring
2011

 II. The
Necessity
and
Value
of
the
Word
of
God




 Joshua
1:8


 Do
not
let
this
Book
of
the
Law
depart
from
your
mouth;
meditate
on
it
day


 and
night,
so
that
you
may
be
careful
to
do
everything
written
in
it.
Then
you


 will
be
prosperous
and
successful.





 Psalm
1:1‐6


 Blessed
is
the
man
who
does
not
walk
in
the
counsel
of
the
wicked
or
stand


 in
the
way
of
sinners
or
sit
in
the
seat
of
mockers.2
But
his
delight
is
in
the


 law
of
the
LORD,
and
on
his
law
he
meditates
day
and
night.3
He
is
like
a
tree


 planted
by
streams
of
water,
which
yields
its
fruit
in
season
and
whose
leaf


 does
not
wither.

Whatever
he
does
prospers.
4
Not
so
the
wicked!

They
are


 like
chaff

that
the
wind
blows
away.
5
Therefore
the
wicked
will
not
stand
in


 the
judgment,
nor
sinners
in
the
assembly
of
the
righteous.
6
For
the
LORD


 watches
over
the
way
of
the
righteous,
but
the
way
of
the
wicked
will
perish.




 Matthew
4:4


 Jesus
answered,
“It
is
written:
‘Man
shall
not
live
on
bread
alone,
but
on


 every
word
that
comes
from
the
mouth
of
God.”
 




 The
Word
is
life!




 “The
Bible
is
to
me
the
most
precious
thing
in
the
world
just
because
it
tells


 me
the
story
of
Jesus.”


 
 
 
 
 
 ‐
George
MacDonald


 


 “The
Bible
is
worth
more
than
all
other
books
ever
been
printed.
“
 


 
 
 
 
 
 ­
Patrick
Henry


 


 “The
Bible
is
the
cradle
wherein
Christ
is
laid.”


 
 
 
 
 
 ­
Martin
Luther


 

III. Why
do
we
teach
the
Word
of
God?




 Ephesians
4:11‐13


 11It
was
he
who
gave
some
to
be
apostles,
some
to
be
prophets,
some
to
be


 evangelists,
and
some
to
be
pastors
and
teachers,
12to
prepare
God's
people


 for
works
of
service,
so
that
the
body
of
Christ
may
be
built
up
13until
we
all


 reach
unity
in
the
faith
and
in
the
knowledge
of
the
Son
of
God
and
become


 mature,
attaining
to
the
whole
measure
of
the
fullness
of
Christ.


 


 The
goal

maturity,
works
of
service




 Question


 Why
do
we
teach
the
word
to
others?
Why
should
we
become
better


 “students”
of
the
Bible?


The
Emmaus
Project
 2

Spring
2011


 


 Answer


 So
that
believers
might
treasure
more
and
more
the
glory
of
the
Gospel


 and
respond
to
it
by
living
a
fruitful
and
missional
life.




 Westminster
Shorter
Catechism
–
Question
#1




 Q
­
What
is
the
chief
end
of
man?


 A
–
Man’s
chief
end
is
to
glorify
God
and
to
enjoy
Him
forever.




 [So
that
believers
might
treasure
more
and
more
the
glory
of
the
Gospel


 (enjoy
Him
forever)
and
respond
to
it
by
living
a
fruitful
and
missional


 life
(glorify
God)]

sanctification
(maturity).




 God
is
most
glorified
in
us
when
we
are
most
satisfied
in
Him.

‐ John
Piper




 How
do
you
motivate
people
to
glorify
God
with
their
lives?




 1.
Fear

if
you
do
this,
God
will
be
pleased…if
you
don’t
he
will
be
angry.


 2.
Reward

if
you
do
this,
God
will
be
pleased
and
reward
you.


 3.
Morality

if
you
do
this,
you
will
be
doing
the
right
thing.




 4.
Grace

look
at
what
God
has
done
for
you
in
Christ


 (grace/gospel),
here

are
ways
to
celebrate


 that…(obedience).
 




 Grace,
supremely
reflected
in
the
Gospel,
is
always
the


 greatest
motivator
towards
obedience!


 


 Examples:




 Romans
1‐11
 
 vs.

 
 Romans
12‐16


 Galatians
1‐4
 
 vs.

 
 Galatians
5‐6




 Therefore,
reveal
to
people
the
Gospel
in
all
parts
of


 Scripture…and
show
people
how
Scripture
guides


 them
in
responding
to
it.


 


 


 How
do
we
come
to
understand
the
Gospel
throughout
Scripture?














The
Emmaus
Project
 3

Spring
2011

 IV. Basic
Principles
for
Interpretation



A. The
Biblical
Writers
expected
to
be
understood:
this
is
called
Perspicuity.




 Psalm
19:7


 The
law
of
the
LORD
is
perfect,
reviving
the
soul.
The
statutes
of
the


 LORD
are
trustworthy,
making
wise
the
simple.




 1
John
5:13


 
 I
write
these
things
to
you
who
believe
in
the
name
of
the
Son
of
God



 
 so
that
you
may
know
that
you
have
eternal
life.




 
 “The
Bible
is
a
lot
like
the
ocean
when
we
consider
it
in
terms
of



 
 interpretation.
It
is
shallow
enough
for
a
baby
Christian
to
play



 
 in,
and
deep
enough
for
a
spiritual
whale
to
swim
his
whole
life



 
 and
not
explore
all
its
depths!”1




 
 Clarity

 vs.

 Obscurity



B. The
Biblical
Writers
are
pointing
to
Christ:
the
Bible
is
Christo­centric




 
 Luke
24:25‐27


 
 25He
said
to
them,
"How
foolish
you
are,
and
how
slow
of
heart
to



 
 believe
all
that
the
prophets
have
spoken!
26Did
not
the
Christ
have



 
 to
suffer
these
things
and
then
enter
his
glory?"
27And
beginning
with


 
 Moses
and
all
the
Prophets,
he
explained
to
them
what
was
said
in
all



 
 the
Scriptures
concerning
himself.




 
 John
5:39‐40


 
 39You
diligently
study
the
Scriptures
because
you
think
that
by



 
 them
you
possess
eternal
life.
These
are
the
Scriptures
that
testify



 
 about
me,
40yet
you
refuse
to
come
to
me
to
have
life.






 Genesis
3
 Psalm
1





 Jesus
/


 Gospel




 Deuteronomy
17
 Acts
28

































































1
Is
the
Bible
True?
Handout:
RTS
Atlanta


The
Emmaus
Project
 4

Spring
2011




 
 Hebrews
6:1‐3


 

 1Therefore
let
us
leave
the
elementary
teachings
about
Christ
and
go



 
 on
to
maturity…




 
 The
author
of
Hebrews
is
not
saying
we
go
beyond

 
 


 
 Christ/Gospel…but

in
order
to
understand
the
Gospel
in
the



 
 more
abstract
parts
of
Scripture,
we
need
maturity.






 
 Ex.
Jesus
Died
for
my
Sins
vs.
Noah’s
Ark
/
Hidden
in
Christ



C. The
Bible
is
its
own
best
interpreter2




 
 Isaiah
40:3


 
 1
Comfort,
comfort
my
people,
says


 
 your
God.
2
Speak
tenderly
to



 
 Jerusalem,
and
proclaim
to
her



 
 that
her
hard
service
has
been



 
 completed,
that
her
sin
has
been



 
 paid
for,
that
she
has
received
from


 
 the
LORD’s
hand
double
for
all
her



 
 sins.
3
A
voice
of
one
calling:

“In
the


 
 wilderness
prepare
the
way
for
the


 
 LORD;
make
straight
in
the
desert
a


 
 highway
for
our
God.


 
 




 
 Mark
1:2‐3
(quoting,
Isa
40:3)


 
 
1The
beginning
of
the
gospel
about
Jesus
Christ,
the
Son
of
God.
2It
is



 
 written
in
Isaiah
the
prophet:
"I
will
send
my
messenger
ahead
of



 
 you,
who
will
prepare
your
way"—
3"a
voice
of
one
calling
in
the



 
 desert,
'Prepare
the
way
for
the
Lord,

make
straight
paths
for
him.'



 
 And
so
John
the
Baptist
appeared
in
the
wilderness,
preaching
a



 
 baptism
of
repentance
for
the
forgiveness
of
sins.



 Obscure
passages
should
be
interpreted
in
the
light
of
clearer

passages



 Whenever
a
NT
writer
explicitly
interprets
an
OT
text,
the

interpretation
is
true.



 
The
meaning
of
any
part
of
the
Bible
must
be
understood
in

the
context
of
the
Bible
as
a
whole.






























































2
McCartney
and
Clayton,
Let
the
Reader
Understand,
169‐171.


The
Emmaus
Project
 5

Spring
2011

 D. Unpack
the
Original
Meaning
of
the
text




 
 While
Scripture
can
be
applied
to
all
cultures
and
people
groups



 
 throughout
history,
there
is
one
original
meaning
of
the
text.




 
 “The
Reformers
rejected
the
authority
of
traditional
(Catholic

 


 
 Church)
interpretation
and
strove
to
recover
the
meaning
intended
by


 
 the
original
authors
of
Scripture…the
Reformers
recognized
that
God



 
 was
the
ultimate
author
of
Scripture,
and
that
he,
as
the
author,
was



 
 the
source
of
its
meaning.
But
they
looked
to
the
original
author’s



 
 situation
and
intent
as
the
basis
for
discovering
meaning.”3




 
 How
do
we
discover
the
meaning?




 
 Looking
at
the
Writer…the
Audience…and
the
Writing.





 
 More
on
this
in
Week
3!



E. Interpretation
in
the
context
of
the
Metanarrative





 
 “If
you
were
to
read
Tolstoy’s
novel
War
and
Peace
and
someone



 
 asked

you
what
it
was
about,
there
are
several
answers
you
could



 
 give.
You
could
say
it
is
a
book
about
many
individual
people
and
their


 
 stories.
Just
being
introduced
to
all
the
names
in
the
beginning
is
a



 
 chore
in
itself.
On
another
level
you
would
say
that
it
concerns
the



 
 Napoleonic
Wars.
On
still
a
higher
level,
you
might
give
a
reply
about



 
 what
the
author
was
trying
to
say
on
a
grand
scale
by
writing
his



 
 book.”




 
 “Like
Tolstoy’s
War
and
Peace,
with
its
many
plots
and
subplots,
the



 
 Bible
contains
many
stories,
all
woven
together
by
the
one
grand



 
 theme
of
God's
self‐revelation
to
the
world…
This
is
where
the
word



 
 metanarrative
comes
into
importance.
At
its
simplest,
the
word



 
 means
"Big
Story."
The
metanarrative
of
the
Bible
is
its
story
about



 
 God.”4




 
 What
is
the
Metanarrative
of
the
Bible?




 
 More
in
this
next
week!




































































3
McCartney
and
Clayton,
Let
the
Reader
Understand,
23.

4
http://www.postmodernpreaching.net/metanarrative.htm


The
Emmaus
Project
 6

Spring
2011

 











 

























 








 





















 


The
Emmaus
Project
 7

Spring
2011